Flat Tyre on the Highway: What to Do Before Help Arrives
Updated: Oct 3
A flat tyre on a highway needs a different response than one in city traffic — the priority is getting off the live lane safely and staying visible, and only changing the tyre yourself if you can do it well clear of moving traffic.
What to do first with a flat tyre on the highway
If you can still steer and the tyre isn't fully shredded, continue slowly to the nearest safe shoulder rather than stopping in a live lane the moment you feel something wrong. A damaged tyre is a better trade-off than being stopped in traffic.
Assess whether it's safe to change it yourself
If your shoulder is wide and away from a curve, changing the tyre yourself is reasonable. If the shoulder is narrow, sloped, or close to a blind bend, it genuinely isn't — this is when calling for help is the safer option, not the slower one.
If you do change it yourself
Set hazard lights on, place your reflective triangle well behind the vehicle, and work from the side away from traffic. Loosen the nuts before jacking the car up, not after — a jacked-up car is unstable to apply force to.
If you'd rather not, or can't
This is precisely the kind of job Jhatpat handles fastest — tyre change is one of our most common calls precisely because most people either don't carry a working spare, don't have the tools, or are somewhere they'd rather not be doing roadside mechanical work alone.
If you are currently facing any trouble, get in touch with us through our Home page or call us below.
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